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Sean "Diddy" Combs is set to be his sentence on Friday by a federal judge in New York City, after his guilty verdict earlier this 2025 on federal prostitution-related charges.

Here is a summary of his legal proceedings: what he was indicted for, the trial events, and potential next steps.

What Was He Found Guilty Of?

In July, after an eight-week trial, a jury found Combs guilty of two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution. He was found not guilty of the most serious charges against him, racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, which could have resulted in the possibility of a life imprisonment.

The charges on which he was convicted each carry a maximum penalty of a decade. Combs had entered a not guilty plea to all of the charges.

The presiding judge, Arun Subramanian, who oversaw the case, will hand down the ruling on Friday, with the hearing due to begin at 10:00 AM Eastern Time in federal district court in downtown Manhattan.

Combs, fifty-five, has been detained without bond at the Brooklyn detention facility since his arrest in the previous September. Since the decision, the court has denied two bail requests from Combs’s legal team, and earlier this week Subramanian also rejected a request to set aside the convictions.

What Allegations Was Combs Facing?

Government attorneys alleged the Bad Boy Records founder of using his power, fame, wealth and influence, and using violence, threats and blackmail, to coerce former partners into engaging in sex parties involving drugs with male escorts. Such events were often referred to by the accused as “hotel nights”, which they said Combs orchestrated, observed, masturbated to and sometimes filmed.

The prosecution alleged that for over twenty years, Combs operated a criminal enterprise – aided by employees and associates – to conduct and hide offenses including sex-trafficking, drug dealing, corruption and abduction.

Although found guilty on two charges, Combs has denied wrongdoing. His lawyers have maintained that every encounter was mutually agreed and that no criminal enterprise existed.

What Happened At Trial?

The prosecution called over thirty witnesses, including former partners of Combs – singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and a second individual who gave evidence under the pseudonym of “Jane” – who recounted the alleged events in explicit terms, and alleged that Combs coerced and threatened them into taking part.

Ventura was the star prosecution witness. She testified that during her long-term relationship with Combs, he subjected her to various forms of mistreatment and to blackmail. The jury was presented with the 2016 hotel surveillance footage of Combs attacking Ventura in a corridor. Jane also testified of a violent altercation with Combs.

Additional testimony included former employees, escorts, police officers, hotel staff and public figures including musician Kid Cudi and artist Dawn Richard. Combs chose not to take the stand.

Combs’s legal team acknowledged past instances of abuse, but disputed that any coercion or trafficking occurred. They argued that all sexual activity was consensual and part of a “swingers’ lifestyle”, and contended that Ventura and Jane were consenting adults in the sex acts.

What Sentence Could He Serve?

Combs’s attorneys have requested the judge for a penalty of no more than 14 months in jail, which, considering time served, would allow for his release by year's end. They argue that Combs has already been “sufficiently penalized” by serving 13 months in the “terrible conditions” at the facility.

The prosecution, however, have requested at least 135 months (11 years and three months) and a half-million-dollar penalty. In legal documents, they portrayed Combs as “unrepentant” and said that “his background and behavior” demonstrate a pattern of misconduct.

What Statements Were Made In Victim Impact Statements?

The government filed multiple statements from victims to the judge ahead of the sentencing, including one from Ventura.

“While the jury did not seem to grasp or accept that I engaged in the events because of the pressure and intimidation the defendant used against me, I know that is the reality, and his punishment should account for the reality of the evidence and my lived experience as a victim,” Ventura stated.

“I am so scared that if he walks free, his initial steps will be immediate revenge towards me and others who testified about his misconduct, at trial,” she said.

“If there is one thing I have learned from this ordeal, it is that those affected will never be safe,” she continued. “I hope that your decision takes into account the truths at hand that the panel failed to see.”

What Comes After Sentencing?

After sentencing, Combs’s legal team could appeal against the sentence. Combs’s team is also likely to appeal his conviction.

Separately, Combs is confronting numerous civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and other misconduct. He has denied all allegations in those proceedings.